Ghost
by Traye
Summary: Justice League Agent Chloe Sullivan checks in on old friend Pete Ross


Chloe Sullivan stepped to the Deli counter and ordered a Turkey on Rye with American cheese and waited for recognition to set in. It didn't usually take long and when she heard laughing over her shoulder the corners of her mouth curled up into a small smile.

"Chloe?" She heard her old friend say. She let the smile fall away and turned to face him with her best phony surprise face.

"Pete Ross?" She asked doing her best eye squint for good measure. She slid four dollars and seventy nine cents across the counter, the exact cost of her sandwich, and walked over to meet her old friend in the corner.

Pete hadn't changed much since Chloe had last seen him. He was still short with chubby cheeks, boyishly handsome with a bit of a belly. A giant teddy bear. Today he was wearing a pair of dusty jeans and a OneRupublic tee-shirt that had seen better days.

"Chloe how long are we gonna do this?" Pete asked her. There was a smidgen of mustard on his chin and she did her best to pretend not to see it. A few years ago she'd have wiped the mustard off but that was before she found out how he felt about her. Even though she didn't suspect the guy was pining away for her after all these years she didn't want to complicate matters by making some awkward mistake. There could never be anything between her and Pete. Not now, not ever. She didn't want to let the guy entertain the thought of romance or romantic feelings.

"Do what?" She asked as she grabbed a napkin from his table and handed it to him.

He took the hint immediately and wiped his mouth but even with his mouth hidden she could still tell he was smiling.

"Chloe I've seen you six times in the past two years. At first I thought it was a coincidence but it's starting to get pretty obvious. I mean St. Louis Missouri, Columbus Ohio? When I ran into you in Gotham City I knew it wasn't a coincidence. Tell me you just happened to be in those places when the band came through town."

Chloe shrugged as the deli clerk called out her order. She retrieved her sandwich from the counter and returned to the table taking the seat across from Pete without an invitation.

"I just happened to be in town and I wanted a sandwich." She said, a mischievous smile creeping across her face. "Finding you here is a total coincidence." Her eyes scanned Pete for any sign of discomfort but she could tell right away that he didn't consider her a stalker.

"Seriously what's with the check ins? Every four months like clockwork. Your not keeping tabs on me are you?"

She smiled playfully and began to fiddle with her sandwich. "Why, do you need me to keep tabs on you? How are you doing?"

Pete's eyebrows arched with interest. "That's it isn't it? Your keeping tabs on me aren't you?"

"Pete you're one of my oldest friends. I worry about you is all." Chloe told him. Her eyes scanned the table in front of them both and she spotted a copy of the New York Times tucked in a corner. Front and center on the page was a photo of Superman.

Pete's smile faded and he leaned across the table suddenly careful and discreet. "Is he sending you to check up on me?"

Okay she thought, this won't end well. "No. He isn't. It's my job to check in on you and everybody else in the circle of trust. I just need to know you're doing okay."

Pete leaned back in his chair and Chloe could see what looked like anger come over his face. "Are you kidding me? Your job? What are you the happiness police?"

Chloe dug into the back pocket of her jeans and retrieved the badge she'd been issued by the Justice Department and slid it across the table to Pete. Pete took a look at the badge then shook his head with disbelief.

"The Justice League of America. Really? I understand the government giving Superman and Green Arrow and the rest of the hero's the power to arrest people. But you?" The smile crept back across his face and he crossed his arms across his chest. "And who the hell is Agent S?"

Chloe let Pete have his fun but didn't shy away from the topic. Instead she retrieved the badge and shoved it back into her back pocket. She wasn't supposed to use it unless absolutely necessary but the thing was like an American Express card, she never left home without it. It opened doors everywhere. "The details Pete. Somebody has to do the dirty work. Some of us can't fly."

"Like making sure Pete isn't getting drunk and running his mouth." He said with a smirk.

"Pete this is serious. What you know is serious. There are people in this world who would kill for that information. You wanted out and he respects that but it doesn't relieve him of any responsibility. He would die if anything happened to you. You wanted to live your own life but leaving doesn't change anything. You and I are keepers of one of the biggest secrets on the planet. We'll always protect you whether you like it or not."

"Look Chloe Clark and I never talked much about my taking off. I thought a lot about it over the years and I realize it was kind of a crappy thing to do." Pete took a small bite of his sandwich and let his gaze focus on the table.

"Pete you have nothing to feel bad about. If you couldn't deal with the craziness of it all then it was right for you to leave. You have no idea how much it costs you. This secret has totally consumed my entire life. The day we found out we were given a choice. You chose one path and I chose another but they're both the right path."

Pete's eyes met hers and Chloe could tell he was still unsure. "You seem to be pretty happy with the way things have turned out."

"Well I have a hero complex." She said smiling.

"Chloe I was watching TV the other day and I saw him. Flying around saving people. I mean I knew who he was but I didn't realize the gravity of what it meant until I seen him in action. I see little kids in costumes and old people wearing tee-shirts and hats. It hit me. Who he is, what he means to the world. It's a big deal. A huge deal and I think I could have made a contribution."

Chloe had heard this speech before. Lana had said the same thing. She'd talked about how much she had to offer and how unfair it all was. Lana was different from Pete though. Lana left because she was a danger. Pete left to avoid it. Not that she actually blamed Pete. He was just a kid. Not to mention the guy probably saved himself a lifetime of worry and stress.

"Pete I wouldn't second guess myself if I were you. This secret we hold is the most important secret we'll ever know but it changes things. He doesn't blame you for leaving. If you didn't think you could handle it you should have left. Every decision, every tiny road block has brought him to this point. You're a part of this. You're important. That's why I'm here, that's why I'll continue to show up and check in on you. If you ever need anything I'll be here. I'm always watching."

Pete nodded. "So Agent S." He asked. She could see the curiosity in his eyes. The questions must have been extensive but she had no answers she could give him. There was no explanation, no making sense of it.

Chloe nodded. "Chloe Sullivan doesn't exist anymore. She's not in any database, no record of her ever having been born. That's the price of my knowing. That's the price of my helping. Nobody will ever know about it. I won't go down in any history book, I won't get a statue or a school named after me. I'll just be some memory. Some face in the back of your mind that won't have a name. A ghost."

"Chloe is that necessary?"

Chloe shrugged. "It's fine. Some things are bigger than Chloe Sullivan Pete. Some things are more important than my legacy." She reached across the table and grabbed Pete's newspaper and unfolded it in front of him. "Some things are bigger than all of it. This is my legacy. Knowing that I was a part of it, from the very beginning. That's all the legacy I need."


End file.
